AND THE TURF. 2O3 



is tried and reje6led, at the fame time, feven or 

 ten pounds the worfe over the courfe, for his 

 exercife and phyfic. 



It is a common obfervation, " that a horfe 

 " cannot run fat," and it is mod true; but a 

 very erroneous ufe is too generally made of 

 the maxim. Should a horfe be very hardy, 

 and retain his flefh in exercife, meafures of 

 violence, both in refpeft to purgation and 

 fvv^eats, are inflantly reforted to, which in a few 

 words is limply to chufe the greater evil, a 

 dearly beloved error of mankind in ail poffible 

 cafes. Nature bears the motto, 7iemo me im- 

 pune lacejjit ; (he will fuffer no violence with 

 impunity ; in conformity to that principle, the 

 fuperfluous quantum of flefh which a hardy 

 nag may bring to the flarting-poft, notwith- 

 ftanding fair and regular exercife, will de- 

 tract lefs either from his fpeed or bottom, 

 than that certain portion of debility which 

 mufl affuredly fuperinduce, by the extraordi- 

 nary meafures neceifary to counteraft his con- 

 ftitutional tendency. If he has additional 

 weight of flefh to carry, the advantage is dill 

 on the fide of additional ftrength, and elaflicity 

 of fibre. The material queftion no doubt is, 

 what is the due proportion of phyfic and exer- 

 cife for fuch horfes ? It muft be left to the dif- 

 cretion of men of experience and common 



fenfe. 



